Training and Partnerships
Security dealers rave about advantages of education
- By Valerie Chernek
- Jan 01, 2012
Nearly 1,000 U.S. security dealers rely on AlarmWATCH Inc., a
UL/2050, SCIF- and IQ-certified central monitoring station, for
its state-of-the-art monitoring and redundant back-up systems;
but that’s not what you’ll typically hear them rave about the
most. These independent—large and small—security dealers will go straight
to the partnerships, fun events and lasting relationships they have with longtime
executive staff.
They’ll also tell you that the highly-trained monitoring team at Alarm-
WATCH can’t be beat when it comes to keeping a vigilant watch over tens of
thousands of their business and residential customers nationwide.
Then, you’ll hear them talk about the custom training and workshops offered
at the AlarmWATCH University or AWU. These specialized and targeted
workshops are designed to keep dealers on their toes and offer a true
competitive advantage in many areas of their operations. The programs offer
new and seasoned security dealers a chance to keep abreast of the latest sales
techniques, the most recent remote Web access, video surveillance and VOIP
solutions and more. Courses include new product training by invited distributors
and manufacturers and custom presentations from industry consultants
who specialize in security sales and relevant related topics.
In 2011, security dealers attended AWU to learn about:
- Honeywell’s System Sensor certification—Fire Alarm Aspiration Sensing
Technology (FAAST).
- IdentaSAFE, an identity theft protection software from Ocenture Inc., that
uses a technology platform to detect, prevent and correct threats or compromises
to a person’s identity, such as hacking into a home or business
computer.
- DSC’s IMPASSA—with 2-way wireless keypads and sirens; an embedded
3G cellular communicator that supports full data reporting and 2-way
voiceover on the GSM network.
- TruVISION, from Interlogix, a UTC Fire & Security Co.
- Interactive products by Alarm.com
- Alarmnet and Total Connect Interactive Services by Honeywell.
- Firelite—a new IP Communications for UL Fire
- Intensive care sales program (ICSP) by Donna Morreale, a leading security
trainer and mentor.
“We love the intensive care sales program,” said Curt Spicher of Spicher
Security and Electronics, a third-generation home theater and appliance
company. “She [Donna Morreale] teaches us best practice sales strategies to
increase our sales and recurring revenue. AWU training gives our staff handson
experience to add real value to our services.
“We can focus on sales, learn about new products quickly and diversify our
services to grow our business and meet customers’ needs,” he said.
The central monitoring station is SCIF-, UL- and IQ-certified and equipped
to handle all types of emergent threats, from acts of crime to fires, intrusions
and medical emergencies, home or business computer hacking and personal
identity theft. Guy Kline, vice president of sales and marketing, said one of
the company’s biggest strengths is working with dealers in vertical markets
nationwide that have various regional concerns.
“Each company is unique in their approaches and needs,” Kline said. “We
are proud of our long-term business relationships and the turnkey ability to
meet specialized requests; it’s a win-win experience with our dealers and enables
us to ‘feel the pulse of the industry.’ We continually evolve and deliver a
comprehensive array of business and training solutions to meet ongoing and
specialized demands.”
Today, about 85 percent of security companies are independent, small
entrepreneurs who customize services across vertical markets. Some dealers
handle alarms, home theater and appliances; others specialize in high-tech and top-secret video surveillance. Others may be locksmiths, electricians, real estate
agents or commercial contractors who recognize the value of offering security services.
“AlarmWATCH tailors its offerings to meet rigorous and ever-changing requirements
of commercial and residential clients,” Kline said. “Add-on services can help
dealers increase revenue opportunities and focus on the growth of their business and
sales team.”
In addition to the AWU training and certification programs, other offerings include
accounting, answering calls, automated data monitoring and reports, insurance, billing,
customized marketing and high-end hardware and software products.
“The industry is moving fast,” said Gail Schreiner, vice president of operations at
AlarmWATCH. “We’ve got to keep pace with new technologies and safety considerations.
Years ago, we made a concerted decision to build AWU so that our staff and
monitoring teams would receive high-quality training. We also wanted our dealers to
receive the very latest training, strategies and knowledge to support their clients well.”
The company serves a multitude of clients, from Defense Department contractors
to energy, banking, education, healthcare, insurance, government, military, church and
residential business. One of the newest security programs to be offered is an identity
theft protection software by Ocenture Inc. in Jacksonville, Fla., called IdentaSAFE.
Identity theft ranks number one today in the consumer complaint category, according
to the Federal Trade Commission. In 2009, according to estimates, identity fraud
increased substantially, affecting 4.8 percent of the U.S. population to a projected total
of $54 billion in crime. Today, more than 250 U.S. corporations experience some type
of hacking or data breach of their computer networks.
AlarmWATCH dealers were among the first to learn about the new IdentaSAFE
technology. When asked, dealers will tell you that the technology helps them deliver
360 degrees of security by combining core access control and perimeter security monitoring
with personal information protection. Identity protection products may thwart
unnecessary risk and/or minimize identity fraud, saving customers thousands of dollars
and time to correct or restore their personal or business identity.
“No one wants to experience an invasion of their company, home or person,” Kline
said. “Our AWU prepares our staff and dealers for any situation.”
In 2012, AWU courses will shift to the Internet and a traveling road show to give
regional and national dealers the same competitive advantages that mid-Atlantic dealers
now appreciate. Other programs also will be part of the dealer market educational
series, to include CEO roundtables for in-depth workshops and discussions.
“As our business expanded over the past 17-plus years, we wanted to standardize
our security practices,” said John Chetalat, president of Action Integrated of Baltimore.
“We have benefitted greatly from working with this company to design and deliver best
practices in security services.
“We asked AlarmWATCH to become a certified IQ monitoring station for us, and
Gail [Schreiner] investigated the program. She recognized its value immediately. Together,
we became the first UL central station in Maryland and security dealer to qualify
for IQ certification.”
“In today’s competitive marketplace, companies must think outside the box to engage
and support their customers and employees,” said Jim Porter, district manager for
Interlogix, a UTC Fire and Security company and co-sponsor of the Protect-a-Thon
challenge. “As our industry rapidly changes, so do the needs of our dealers and their
end users. We work hard at Interlogix, from a product and business standpoint, to meet
these changing demands and embrace the ‘New Normal’ needs of our partners and customers.
Interlogix brings the latest in innovative solutions and technologies to address
existing and future security concerns.
“Through resources like the Protect-a-Thon and the AlarmWATCH University, we
can provide the right structure and training to keep dealers’ sales drives high and help
them to deliver the right strategies at the right time to capitalize on their investments.
These building blocks give all of us better positioning, and we can create lasting partnerships
that help us maintain leadership status.”
This article originally appeared in the January 2012 issue of Security Today.